


Operation Chaos

by LadyLanera



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Annoying songs sung, Attempt at Humor, Bunker Map Table, Cas's brothers love him and ship Destiel, Castiel in the Empty (Supernatural), Castiel-centric (Supernatural), Castiel/Dean Winchester First Kiss, Chaos Trio for the win, Destiel endgame, Destiel is forever, Empty defeated, Gabriel and Balthazar are little shits but mean well, Gabriel is Cas's big annoying brother, Happy Ending, Idiots in Love, M/M, Minor Eileen Leahy/Sam Winchester, Poor Empty, Spoilers for s15x18 and s15x19
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-14
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:16:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27564412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyLanera/pseuds/LadyLanera
Summary: Picking up after Cas's sacrifice for Dean, the Seraph who loves Dean Winchester wakes in the Empty to familiar faces. Could it be Cas's story wasn't complete just yet either?
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Comments: 15
Kudos: 159
Collections: Destiel is Canon - 15x18 Codas, SPN Finale "Destiel is CANON" Collection





	Operation Chaos

**Author's Note:**

> Well, hello there, lovelies. I'll keep the notes short. This story practically wrote itself after hearing the words from Meg!Empty to Jack, "You made it loud." I tried to weave 15x19 events in with this. Any mistakes are truly my own. Thanks for reading.

Admitting it finally after holding onto it for so long was liberating. His truth was out there. With his last act, he would go into his final rest without that regret over his head this time, not to mention he knew Dean was safe because of his actions. The Empty couldn't replay all the times Cas wanted to say it anymore, came close to telling Dean, laying bare all his love for that wonderful human of his. He had punted that particular regret through the net with his Hail Mary and scored the double goals. Or however that phrase humans said went.

He watched the inky black ooze lurch past, seizing Billie and absorbing her first.

Dean Winchester was saved.

Again.

Cas smiled and let go.

When the Empty collected him next, he felt nothing except joy radiating inside, his weakened, faulty Grace thrumming for the last time.

And then he was gone.

Snatched in front of those hunter green eyes that promised the world while hiding unimaginable heartbreak in the forest of despair underneath.

He was ready.

His last thoughts were of Paradise shown to him all those years ago on the playground. Of a world where he could have Dean. Of a time where he could fulfill their epic Profound Bond ultimately. Of a place where both warriors, one of Heaven and one of Earth, could unequivocally be at peace.

Absolute peace.

* * *

"Hello, Castiel," drawled a familiar haughty voice that had been silent for nine years.

 _Balthazar?_ The Seraph gasped, blue eyes squinting at the angel standing directly in front of him. What had happened to the Empty wearing Meg's visage?

"Cas! Wonderful!" called out another long since silent voice appearing at his side.

_Gabriel?_

A heavy hand then clamped down onto his shoulder.

What was going on here?

Was this real?

"Tambourine, or we goin' for drums this time?"

Tambourine? Drums? Cas's head tilted. What was going on?

"Little bro," murmured his older brother, stepping in front of him and instantly blocking his view of Balthazar. "You with me, kiddo?" Soulful whiskey eyes stared deep into the oceanic blues, searching for something before Gabriel's eyes softened. "Tambourine or drums? Or, I mean, I suppose, we can choose something else for you if you don't like those options. FYI, though," he said, holding a finger up with a lopsided grin, "kazoo—a hundred percent mine. Everything else, free for the taking."

"Gabriel?" Cas finally said, his eyes then darting behind the archangel. "Balthazar?"

No. This wasn't how it should have been. He looked beyond his brothers then, finding more of his kin hovering around curiously. They were all there. Samandriel stood near Gadreel. Benjamin lowered his head respectfully beside Rachel and Hannah. Joshua and— _was that Crowley?_

"I don't understand."

His older brother chuckled softly, amber eyes glowing faintly in warmth and amusement.

"Clearly. Boils down to this, though." Gabriel's hand gently rested against Cas's shoulder. "We woke up for some reason. All of us. Good, bad, and the ugly." He then pointed through the sea of black towards something off in the distance. "And that relic out there bitching about it being loud? It went on about how it couldn't wait to get its hands on you and make you pay. So, Balthy and I waited." His smile grew into a full-blown grin then. "See? I can be patient sometimes."

"When you want to be at least, yes," huffed Balthazar with a faint smirk at their sides.

Something had woken up all the angels and demons inside the Empty? Had it been a result of Jack again? Had his son done this? It was plausible. Billie had sent Jack earlier here to take the Empty off the board, pissing it off in the process. It was only natural to assume that the amount of required energy to destroy the Empty would have caused such a reaction like this.

"All right." Cas still didn't exactly follow the logic here with what musical instru— _Oh_! Never mind. Now, he understood. "You believe annoying it as I had before will force it to send us back?"

"Something like that." Gabriel then shrugged. "And let's face it. You, me, and Balthazar? Yeah . . . So, you in? Three amigos ride again?" He then quickly amended his statement at Cas's face crumpling slightly. "I mean, I know you're used to plaid-wearing Winchesters, but we don't do plaid, bucko. We do low-cut v-necks and leather jackets in this family."

It took quite a bit to keep the smile from tugging at his lips at those words.

"Gabriel . . ."

Hope dangled right there again, waiting for him to take the bait. To make another choice.

Returning to Dean? To having another chance in being in the orbit of the magnificent human he loved with all his Grace and heart?

"Castiel, listen to me." Hands then went to his cheeks, cupping his face tenderly. "I know."

Blinking, the Seraph stared back, puzzled. "You know?"

"I know," repeated his older brother firmer, his whiskey eyes holding a pitying, somber look.

Cas's brows furrowed more. What exactly did Gabriel know here?

"It screeched out its happiness when it left to grab you," his brother revealed. "How you finally allowed yourself to be happy enough to trigger your deal." His brother's head slanted slightly in total understanding. "Doesn't take a genius to figure out who makes you happy, so, yeah, sport, _I know_."

"As do I if anyone cares," called out Balthazar, smirking like the cheeky brat he was. "It was always obvious how our dear brother with the dirty trench coat was in love with a lumberjack ape."

"Enough," Gabriel cautioned, giving their brother a hard look that silenced Balthazar instantly.

"Castiel?" another voice spoke then. This time it was from his right.

The Seraph turned his head towards the sound, watching the woman approaching slowly.

"Eileen?" Gabriel released him instantly, stepping back silently. "How are you—"

She should have been in Heaven, not here. Not in this wretched place of all things. She was human. Humans didn't come here. Humans were meant to live their afterlife in happiness, not this.

His anger bubbled underneath in outrage for her. She didn't deserve this place.

"I don't know," she answered honestly with a bemused shrug.

Embracing him warmly a moment later, she laughed gently before eventually pulling back.

"Your brother here has an idea, though," she stated, motioning to the quiet former Trickster.

"A first in centuries, I might add," teased Balthazar, earning another mild glare from Gabriel.

More of his older brother's earlier mirth chipped away prior to his adopting a rare serious look. "Dad was here earlier."

"Chuck?"

Chuck had come to the Empty? Why? Were the Empty and Chuck working together?

"Yep." Gabriel shrugged dismissively before he continued. "One moment Daddio shows up out of nowhere, walks right past the screaming Empty, and talks to Lucifer. The next thing we know, this beautiful woman appears, and Luci and Dad are gone."

Chuck wasn't supposed to have reign over this place, yet he showed up and took Lucifer with him? There had to be a reason. Lucifer and Chuck working together again, though? That didn't bode well for Sam and Dean at all.

"Best guess?" asked his older brother, catching Cas's look. At the nod, Gabriel said, "He put her here to make sure Sam couldn't reach her." Hesitantly, he glanced at Eileen before his eyes fell away back to Cas. "You know, since Dad's supreme dick number one."

Balthazar made a noise then, gaining their attention. "You're truly not going to tell Castiel the best part?" he remarked with a raised brow.

Cas glanced between them and then to Eileen, noticing her warm, amused smile directed at the former Trickster fondly.

"Our amazing brother here looked dear Father in the eyes and told him right where he could—"

"— _anyway_ ," interrupted the older archangel sharply with a frown, "when Dad and Luci left together, we realized things were going down on Earth. Thus, Operation Chaos began."

"I came up with that actually," Balthazar chimed in, grinning proudly. "Creating Hell And Obnoxious Synergy."

Ah. Of course. Cas should have known.

However, it didn't change things. It couldn't.

"I was asleep, brothers." He had been at peace with how things ended for him. With how his story would finish. He accepted his choice, his self-sacrifice for the man he loved. And now they woke him up with them? He kept the frown from his lips, wondering if their actions were merely because they didn't want to be alone with the others.

"Eh," Gabriel shrugged, "it was less Sleeping Beauty and more like Medusa victim honestly."

Eileen snorted, rolling her eyes and shaking her head. She met Cas's puzzled look. "They've been trying to wake you for a while now."

"I'm sure." He then sighed inwardly. "I appreciate all of this, but—"

His older brother frowned, immediately folding his arms across his chest. "Cassie?"

Cas did his best to ignore the warmth that flared up at his brother's moniker for him. Once he had believed they could be close. In some regards, he still did, he supposed. However, Cas's story was over. It ended the second he sacrificed himself for Dean once again. That was all Cas would be, a pawn to sacrifice for his king.

"Yes?"

"Do you or do you not love Dean?"

"I do, but—"

"But nothing," Gabriel cut in curtly. "Kiddo, you ripped up the script time and time again. If anyone deserves their happily ever after, it's _you_. Those stubborn hunters of ours never would have gotten this far without you, Cas. _You_ did that, not Dad."

"I told Dean I love him."

There would be no happy ending for him now, not after placing yet another heavy weight atop of Dean's shoulders to carry with him forever. He hadn't even allowed Dean the chance to speak, cutting him off at every chance he could to save himself from the rejection and pain he knew he'd have. It was something he had done more lately ever since Michael's dig about not getting things they deserved. He was okay with the knowledge that his love for the hunter would never be reciprocated, couldn't be.

"Okay?" Both his brothers shrugged as if his admitting his love wasn't that big of a deal.

A hand then gently rested on his shoulder not being held by Gabriel. "Castiel, you are aware who we are, yes?"

"Yes, Balthazar," he replied dryly, rolling his eyes. As if he could ever forget.

"Then, do cease in your foolishness and get it through your incredibly dense head. You and that human of yours share a bond that transcends everything Dad ever dreamed up. You telling Dean what all of us knew, demon and otherwise, and then vanishing on him? Oh, yes. I assure you, Castiel, your dumb Winchester is very much trying to get you back."

"He probably begged Dad, I'd bet," Gabriel mused aloud.

"He wouldn't," Cas argued.

Dean would focus on his mission instead. He'd throw himself hard into ending Chuck once and for all. He would shove everything about Castiel to the side, compartmentalizing as done so many times before during their years together.

"He would," Gabriel countered firmly.

"I told him I love him."

He told a man he had fallen for so many years ago how he loved him. And then he was gone before Dean's very eyes. He knew how his leaving would go. The same as it always did. With Dean becoming more focused, more determined than ever before. Dean had said it time and time again to him.

_Cas, buddy . . ._

The look in the beautiful evergreen eyes when he said 'I love you' the first time as he lay dying in front of Mary, Crowley, Sam, and Dean.

The look returned when he said it this time, too.

_I love you like a brother, Cas. I hope you know that._

"Congratulations on your coming out," Gabriel remarked simply, lightly squeezing his shoulders. "Proud of you, little bro. However, trust me when I say this. Dean's going to come for you."

"He won't. I don't—"

"Castiel," interjected Eileen, staring with wide eyes. "You do."

"No." He shook his head fiercely. As much as he wished it were true, it wasn't. He didn't matter in the way he longed for being true. "I was merely his friend, a . . . buddy." It took everything not to spit that word out with all the hurt he felt at its meaning.

Once he had let himself think Dean reciprocated. That he could get his moment in the sun with Dean as well. That their love was requited. However, it was an illusion, a fantasy he had dreamed. Dean couldn't be in love with him. Because if he had, then Castiel was convinced they'd have had intercourse at least a few times by now, or at least some physical connection to release the tension that Sam bitched about over the years. Instead, they only had moments of self-sacrifice and heartbreak. Both were hardly signs of love declarations.

"Oh, you bloody idiot," scoffed Balthazar. He turned to their older brother then. "Are you going to correct him, or must I do everything?"

"Castiel."

The Seraph sighed heavily. Oh, here Gabriel would go.

"Luci is going to use you to get closer to them," his older brother stated quietly. "You're Dean's weakness."

A memory then flashed in Cas's mind.

_Do it. You blast me away, you'll blast away every angel in the room. I'll survive. Castiel, on the other hand, he's hurt. He might live or he might just end up a bloody smear on the wall. Roll the dice._

He had always wondered if Dean lowered his hand because he saw Sam and Lily approaching, or if there was another reason. A small voice had always murmured that it was because Dean couldn't risk hurting him, but Cas knew that voice was merely a part of his subconscious yearning for his hunter.

"It doesn't matter. Dean is with Sam. They'll be fine." They always were.

He caught Gabriel and Eileen's reactions and sighed.

"I do not matter anymore. I have no more purpose. My story is finished, brother. There is nothing more for me to do for Dean."

"Fine. Then what about Heaven? You told me before I got shanked they were losing juice?"

"It doesn't—"

"It does TOO matter, you knucklehead!" snarled Gabriel, his anger literally exploding from him in rare fashion. "Damn it, Castiel!" He grabbed Cas's lapels violently. "Dean loves you, you asshat!"

No! Lies. It was all lies! "He doesn't!" He couldn't . . .

He couldn't . . .

If Cas believed it, then . . .

"He does!" Gabriel glared back fiercely, shaking his head the whole while. "He just doesn't know how to say the words back to you, sport."

_No . . ._

It wasn't true. It couldn't be. Dean would never allow himself to be with someone like Cas. That wasn't the ending for Dean. It couldn't be the ending for the Righteous Man. Perhaps a return to Lisa would be Dean's ending, maybe, but not Cas with Dean. That wasn't possible. A rebellious angel who hated everything he became with a human who didn't give in easily and never stopped fighting? His hunter whom he loved with all his heart and soul and . . .

Tears streamed down his cheeks as Cas stared back, feeling the pain and ache he felt for years rise to the surface. He could never be that lucky, that deserving to have Dean as his.

"Honestly, you two idiots are the only thing standing between you two," Gabriel asserted, clutching him tightly as if to keep Cas from running. "He doesn't think he's good enough for you, and you stupidly think he couldn't ever reciprocate because you think you don't deserve good things either!"

"I'm an angel, brother."

A broken angel with a crack in his chassis who never did as he was told.

"And he's a human," Gabriel simply replied. "Little fledgling of mine, your love . . . kiddo, I don't know how to make it much clearer to you. You wrote yourself into Dad's story. You ruined everything Chuck ever dreamed of writing. Every stupid ending he ever thought of—you ruined. And you did it because the second you laid a hand on Dean, you fell in love with him. You claimed him. Hell, Castiel, you basically pissed on him and said, 'Fuck you, Chuck. He's mine."

Balthazar snickered nearby with a few others.

"You think Dean doesn't love you back, though? Really? _Really?_ " drawled the archangel. "You think so little of the man you love?"

"No!" Of course he didn't! "He can't, though!"

"Why the hell not? You have always been by his side. You have always put him first. You raised him from Hell, and you never left his damn side. You have been his constant, the one thing he can count on. You seriously don't think that means anything to him?"

"I'm . . ." Cas shook his head, trying his damnedest not to give in and believe it. Hope was a dangerous thing as was doubt. It couldn't be true, though. Because since when did he, the angel who rebelled and broke all the rules, all the molds, get a happy ending? He had given his life, sacrificed, so Dean would get that slice of good heavenly pie, not so he could. He knew his role in this from the very start. Dean was everything, and Cas was . . . was . . . a means to an end. That was all he was. "I'm . . . " It wasn't true. It couldn't be. Dean had always, always pointed out that he loved Cas like a brother. That when it came to romantic partners for the hunter, it wasn't ever going to be Cas. Ever. No matter how much Castiel prayed and tried to grasp it.

"No, sport. You're not." Gabriel's fingers loosened before he cupped Cas's face tenderly again in his hands. "You took Dad's shitty story, and you turned it into a 900K word, slow burn, OTP, bonded for life, everyone knows but them, Sam ships it, soulmate, belligerent sexual tension, better than canon fanfic. _You_ did that. You wrote the biggest and best love story there ever will be, Cas. You did that, little bro. So, Balthazar, me, Eileen, and some of the others, we're going to get you home."

"My story is done, Gabriel."

He had completed his mission. What more could there be possibly?

He felt his brother's fingers dig into his cheeks for a brief moment before an exasperated sigh.

"Then what about Sam's? Huh?" Gabriel had switched tactics beautifully. "We can't do this without you. You're the catalyst, the spark in everything that has ever happened in the Gospel of Winchester. Do you want Sam . . ." his voice cracked slightly, but he pushed through as if it hadn't "to live his life alone, losing yet another person in his life he loves?"

Blue eyes glanced at Eileen, falling in shame. Gabriel was right of course. Sam deserved to have his happy ever after with Eileen. He deserved after everything to have a chance at normalcy.

"I'll help send Eileen back." But when the time would come, Cas would do as he did in Purgatory the first time. He would make sure she got back and remain behind.

There was nothing back there for him now.

Only pain.

The Empty had warned him of that long ago, but he had been too obstinate to heed its warning. He had been too desperate to return to Dean's side, to be with his love just a few more moments.

Gabriel's lips pinched tight together for a moment before he inclined his head in gratitude. "So, I'll ask again, tambourine or drums?"

"Electric guitar," Cas stated, a soft smile tugging at his lips. He saw his older brother's glee and felt Balthazar's fingers curl deeper into his shoulder. A moment later, his brothers both wrapped him up in a loving embrace, causing Cas to feel even more confused.

Since when were angels known for chick moments as Dean would say?

"Love you, kiddo," murmured Gabe on his left.

Cas closed his eyes instantly, feeling his Grace inside claw its way to the surface. He shuddered inside as his emotions swirled like a tornado ready to descend in an open field on the prairie.

"I forgive you, Cas, always," Balthazar whispered on his right then. "I hope you knew that."

He didn't know how he could be forgiven for what he had done. Truly. He had stabbed his brother in the back. He had killed half of the angels and most of the demons in this room for that matter. How could he be forgiven for all of his mistakes? How could he be loved like this by them? How could he deserve someone like Dean? How could they think he deserved to be with his hunter?

"Take it Feathers is finally onboard," dryly remarked Crowley behind Cas, ending the moment.

"You're an ass," huffed Gabriel, pulling back sharply and glaring at the former King of Hell.

"And you're an annoying dick. Your point?"

Gabriel clenched his jaw, though, brushing off the easy bait. "Is everyone ready?"

"Just waiting on orders," Crowley replied, briefly glancing at Eileen before he turned away.

"You!" a sinister voice snarled all around them.

A second later, the entity known as the Empty was in front of Cas, who was flanked by Balthazar and Gabriel in obvious protective stances.

"You're supposed to be asleep! You're all supposed to be asleep!" Its anger radiated from the black goo-form.

"Let us sing you a lullaby then," Gabriel remarked, his fingers snapping a second later.

The Empty's head snapped towards him, lunging forward violently.

However, the discord took over after musical instruments appeared all over the vast emptiness, throwing off the Empty's balance at its suddenness.

"What? What did you do?" it demanded, snarling at the grinning archangel.

"NOW!" Gabriel yelled, his True Voice ringing out and shaking everything.

Kazoos, tambourines, drums, guitars, pianos, keyboards, trumpets, tubas, every single instrument known to man exploded in fury, amplified even more surprisingly.

"NO!" hissed the Empty, its inky black hands flying to its head in agony. "NO! Quiet! Be quiet!" it screamed, its voice carrying.

"It's a small world after all!" Balthazar belted out loudly. "It's a small world after all!"

Gabriel soon joined in, singing even louder and more obnoxiously, "I've got a lovely bunch coconuts!" His grin widened as the Empty flew back in obvious pain. "There they are standing in the road." He took a step forward. "Big ones. Small ones. Some as big as your head!"

"Shut up!" it roared, the hardness beneath their feet quaking. "SHUT UP!"

"Baby shark, doo doo doo doo doo doo," Samandriel sung as loud as he could go. "Baby shark, doo doo doo doo doo doo."

"Narwhals, narwhals," Crowley crooned, "swimming in the ocean."

"NO!" screeched the Empty, curling in on itself more.

"Never gonna give you up! Never gonna let you down!" Eileen added, smiling widely.

"Don't let them in! Don't let them see!" Meg caroled nearby, approaching the Empty that wore her face. "Be the good girl you always have to be! Conceal, don't feel! Don't let them know! Well, now they knooooow!" Her voice raised even higher. "Let it go! Let it go! Can't hold me back anymore!"

"SHUT UP!" shrieked the Empty, its feral cries screeching out. "SHUT UP ALL OF YOU!"

Joshua then joined in, "I like to move it, move it. I like to move it, move it. I like to move it, move it. Ya like to move it!"

Absolute chaos descended as more voices droned on, filling the nothingness of the Empty with deafening loudness.

Cas could tell that the Empty was near its breaking point. He almost felt sorry for it. Almost.

Its head pitifully lifted staring at him for a moment.

_I have tiptoed through all your little tulips. Your memories. Your little feelings. Yes, I know what you hate. I know_ _ who _ _you love. What you fear. There's nothing for you back there. Here. Let me show you._

"It's peanut butter jelly time," Cas started to rap then, hearing the others pause and stare at him. It was literally the only song he could think of at the time. "Peanut butter jelly time, peanut butter jelly time. Where he at. Where he at. Where he—"

"Get out!" it screeched, throwing its arms out wide.

The brilliant blues darted to Eileen instantly. The second he felt himself being thrown out, Cas reached for her. However, his fingers missed her by mere millimeters

"No!" he screamed.

A second later, he slammed down hard atop of the map table in the bunker, his head bouncing off the continent of Africa. He then heard another whoosh followed by a strangled yelp of surprise before Eileen landed atop of him soon afterwards. More whooshes then echoed around as even more appeared.

"Cas?" whispered a voice, carrying through the noise of complete chaos a few moments later.

"Eileen?" another voice called out in clear disbelief.

Cas and Eileen both glanced at one another in shy awkwardness before an amused Gabriel offered his hand to help Eileen off Cas and stand on her own two feet.

Unable to roll himself off the table, Cas lulled his head to the side to watch Sam embrace Eileen before the hunter instantly pulled her into a deep kiss and then pressed their foreheads together in utter relief. The Seraph smiled in response, grateful Sam would get his chance at love.

"Cas?" Dean repeated, having moved closer when the angel had been distracted with Sam and Eileen's reunion.

He glanced at the man he had fallen for, had given up armies for, betrayed his family for, had fought for, devoted his entire life for, and sacrificed himself time and time again for to save Dean.

"Hello—"

Their usual greeting was interrupted, though, when his hunter yanked the angel up from the table, slamming their lips together. Their noses crashed against one another, bringing tears to Cas's eyes at the slight pain from it, but he said nothing. Dean was kissing him. They were actually—it was happening—his hunter was actually kissing him. When Dean finally pulled back as Cas's mind spun in a mix of confusion and glee, the Seraph tilted his head. What ever happened to personal space anyway?

"You idiot," Dean choked out, staring down at him with watery eyes. "How many times I got to tell you, man? Don't do that to me!"

"I apol—"

"And this self-sacrificing for the other bullshit thing we got going on? No more! Hear me? No more, angel!" Dean declared, jabbing him hard in the chest before splaying his hand atop of where Cas's heart would be. "From now on, we die together, or we don't die at all. Understand?"

Cas's head tilted more, almost completely on its side.

Was Dean saying what Cas thought Dean was saying?

"There ain't no me without you," his hunter admitted shakily. "So, you know . . ." His tongue pressed hard to his cheek as he glanced away, a few tears rolling down his cheeks. "I need you, Cas, so don't leave me again. Please. I'm begging you. Don't leave me. Cause when you do?" Dean's mouth opened and closed for a few moments before he exhaled, the tension rolling off him visibly. "It's like I ain't whole. Like there's this monster in me, filled with rage and pain, and I can't get rid of it. No amount of booze in the world will numb that emptiness inside, so, I'm begging you. Don't do that again. Not unless you're prepared for me to follow your ass to the Empty again and live the rest of our life annoying the shit out of it. Because you? Fuck, Cas, you're my big win. Always."

The Seraph stared back numbly. What?

"Ha! TOLD YOU SO!" shouted Gabriel behind Dean before he cried out loudly. "Ow! What was that for, Samshine?"

"Gabe, for once in your life, be quiet," Sam huffed exasperatedly.

"Oh, just make out with your cute girlfriend already, will you? Though, you know, a better man would reward the person who brought back said—"

Cas felt jolted out of his thoughts by that remark, but he couldn't look away from the openness reflected in those gorgeous green eyes of Dean's. It was true? All of it? His human, his beautiful human with a heart so big and a soul so bright, truly felt the same?

It wasn't unrequited?

It was . . .

He was cared for deeper than a brother? He . . . it was true?

"Gabriel!" Sam's voice cut in through Cas's spiraling of what ifs.

"Jeez. Tough crowd," drawled back the archangel, obviously grinning from ear to ear. "I was only going to mention I'm a sharer."

"Not in a million years," Eileen replied with a quiet laugh. "But thank you, Gabriel."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Rub it in my face some more, why don't you?"

Cas caught Dean's eye roll, finding himself soon counting the gorgeous freckles once more. It was something he had done from the very start. He knew every single one like the back of his hand, making certain when he rebuilt Dean that he placed them exactly as they were before. He only ever got to around 200 or so usually before he'd be interrupted and forced to start over. When the forest green eyes he loved more than the entire night sky caught him once again, Cas's eyes dropped guiltily. He was going to make this weird again somehow like he usually did.

"Think you can walk, sunshine?"

"Probably." However, the second Cas started to roll onto his side, he let out a groan and fell back at a sharp pain racing up his spine. "Perhaps not." He did find it rather disconcerting how much pain he felt currently, but he imagined it was due to his already weakened Grace.

"Huh."

Something about the way Gabriel had said that sent alarm bells off in Cas's mind.

"Huh what, Strawberry Shortcake?" Dean gruffly asked, turning towards the archangel.

"Your angel's human," answered Crowley, beating Gabriel in answering.

"What?" Dean turned back, searching Cas's face. "Is that true?"

Cas paused, taking a moment to inspect himself inwardly. He frowned at what he found.

"It would appear so." He couldn't feel his Grace anymore strangely enough.

"Did the Empty take it before it sent you back?"

"I don't think that's it," Gabriel answered quietly, hover over Dean's shoulder.

"It burned out," Cas murmured in realization. He had barely had any before the Empty had collected him. So, it was plausible that with his injuries sustained by slamming down onto the table earlier, his Grace would have burned itself out while healing him.

"Burned out?" Dean twisted back around. "Is he okay?"

Cas frowned. Why had Dean asked Gabriel instead of himself? When his brother's eyes passed over him silently, the Seraph's frown deepened in petulance.

"Kiddo?"

"What?" He was being a brat, he knew, but he didn't like Dean asking Gabriel instead of him.

"You want to answer that, or should I?"

"I'm sore, but fine." If he had to guess, he probably had some mild bruising and possibly some muscle strain to his back. Overall, though, he was all right.

"You're sure?"

"Yes, Dean. I'm sure." He then blinked, finally noticing the glaringly obvious person missing. "Where's Jack?"

Both Sam and Dean sighed, glancing down with matching looks of guilt.

Cas felt his stomach roll in dread. _No . . ._

"After we left Chuck powerless and Jack became the new God, the kid decided he'd write himself out of the story. He brought everyone back. At least everyone he could. And then he left, saying he'd be around and some other flowery crap."

"Jack returned to Heaven?"

"I don't know. Don't think so. He just sort of disappeared, telling us how he'd be in every raindrop and stuff."

"I see."

"Yeah. It was sort of weird we thought too honestly. But you're back now. You and Eileen and . . . everyone else too. And Jack didn't want us to think he was really gone, so . . . "

The Winchesters then glanced around the room at all their sudden guests, likely realizing the elephant in the room. There were literal angels and demons standing in the middle of the bunker's map room and spilling into the library.

A second later, their guests started vanishing in a flurry of wings and pops.

"Uh . . . okay, anyone want to explain what just happened?" Sam asked quietly.

"They returned to Heaven or Hell, depending on their allegiance."

"Okay . . ."

"You two honestly made a few of them nervous with your looks, so I sent them home before anything happened," Gabriel snorted. "You're welcome." He then glanced across the way. "Crowley?"

"Yes?"

"What do you say to a celebratory night on the town with an archangel and angel while we give them some alone time?"

"Depends on who's buying the first round," drawled the former King of Hell.

Gabriel chuckled quietly. "Ah, what the hell? Sure. I'll buy the first round. You in?"

"After you, Goldilocks." The angels and the demon then headed towards the stairs.

"Don't suppose you three mind company at all, do you? Or should I just ghost off?" Meg asked, crossing her arms as she stood staring up at them from where she stood near the back wall.

Crowley raised a brow but said nothing.

Gabriel and Balthazar merely tilted their heads.

"What? You three never been around a chick before?" she remarked dryly.

"I like you," Balthazar stated with a smirk.

"Yeah? Fair warning to you, fake Sting," Meg replied. "Touch me, and I'll rip out your feathers and shove them down your throat before I douse you in holy oil, set you on fire, and have myself an angel extra crispy."

Gabriel flinched at her threat, Cas noticed, but didn't say anything.

"Ooh, well, now, she-devil." Balthazar's smirk widened into a grin. "Don't tease me like this if you don't mean it."

Cas groaned, his chin dropping back onto his chest. His brothers were deranged sex fiends.

"Just get out of here already!" Dean yelled at them.

"Love you too, Dean-o!" Gabriel yelled back as the four resumed walking up the stairs. However, before they left, he paused at the landing and glanced down at them. "And remember, kiddos, practice safe sex and keep those—"

"GABRIEL!"

A snap a second later took the archangel with the wide shit-eating grin away just before the object would have hit him.

"I swear, man. Your brother is a fucking menace."

Cas caught Sam and Eileen's poorly hidden smiles before they silently slipped out of the room with joined hands.

"Angel?"

He glanced back at Dean.

"Do you remember when we met?"

"Of course, Dean."

Castiel had appeared in flurry of lightning and thunder. Uriel had teased him later over it once, stating he had been dramatic as hell. But Cas had really only done it because he knew Dean enjoyed dramatic entrances during a first meeting. He had seen it when he knit Dean back together from Hell. To stand before such a rare, magnificent specimen as Dean—it was as if looking up at the night sky with no light pollution for miles around, gazing at the twinkling balls of light overhead in absolute serenity.

"You called me out on my bullshit thoughts. For the past twelve years, you've proved time and time again that in your eyes I'm everything; I'm worth something; I'm deserving of your love."

"Dean—"

"I can't say the words," he laughed dryly. "I want to, but they just won't come out. But I'm going to show you every day, man. Every single day. Because you're not . . . you're more than a brother to me. More than just my best friend." He shrugged lightly before he let out a loud, anguished exhale. "I can't live without you, not without being in constant pain and shit. So, you know, I hope you understand when I say, uh, how I need you, I'm really saying, you know, _that_."

Cas smiled at him fondly, pressing a gentle hand to Dean's cheek.

"I love you, too."

"I know."

Cas squinted back before he raised a brow. "Did you just Han Solo me?"

Dean chuckled back. "Look at you, sunshine. Finally getting a _Star Wars_ reference right."

"I'll have you know—"

His words were cut off once again when Dean pulled him upwards again before brushing his lips over Cas's. A second later, Cas yanked his hunter closer, falling back when his arm supporting him slipped. He caught Dean's amused laugh and smiled warmly back when Dean hopped up onto the table a second later, quickly straddling him and returning to their gentle, slow kiss.

Their fingers laced together for a second before they clutched at one another needily, breathing in the other's breath deeply. They took their time exploring one another, knowing they had the rest of their lives together finally.

Cas's fingers wove through Dean's hair while Dean's mapped in return out every dip and curve of the angel's body. They nipped and sucked and lapped and loved at the other's lips. Their kisses grew more heated once again before simmering when it became too much for them.

"Dean," Cas breathed once they broke apart as their minds swirled with love and adoration and reverence for the other.

"Yeah, man?" finally replied his Righteous Man in a low, breathless tone.

"This is what Jack showed me that day on the playground all those years ago. Us being together. Happy just like this. Minus us on the map table of course. Your brother happy and in love as well."

"Yeah?"

Cas let out a quiet laugh. "Yes." He smiled lovingly and reached up, gently curling his fingers around Dean's bicep where he had now grabbed him twice. He caught the responding slight shiver to his touch and smiled wider. "Of all the humans I've ever crossed paths with during my long life, you, Dean Winchester, are the one I love the most. I will never not love you. Your soul is brighter than all the stars in the sky. And when I rescued you from Hell all those years ago, I heard its cries and cradled it in my hands, praying you would survive so that we could meet in person.

Dean swallowed, more of his tears falling silently.

"From the moment I felt your soul, I knew you were the one I would pledge my love and blade to for all eternity. I am glad I beat my brothers to you. That I disobeyed and rebelled for you. I would do it all over again every time." He watched the tears trickle down Dean's face, silently brushing them away with his thumbs. "I meant what I said, Dean. You changed me."

"You did the same to me, too, Cas. Knowing you . . . I've never felt this way about anyone before. Never. I used to believe in nothing but me and Sammy. Then you showed up and turned everything on its head. Cas, I can't wait to see what life has in store for us now. We're free, man. Free to live our story without any of that other bullshit subplots and crap. Just you and me and Baby . . . and maybe Sammy and Eileen too."

"Let's go to bed, Dean." He caught the instant flush from his love and chuckled lightly. "To sleep," he clarified. "There will be plenty of time for sexual intercourse later. I promise."

"I'll hold you to that," he replied quietly. A moment later, he gently hopped back off Castiel and the map table, offering a hand to pull the Seraph up. When Cas let out yet another groan and curled in on himself, Dean sighed heavily. "All right. Think you can wrap your arms around my neck?"

"Yes, but I'm not sure for how long, though."

"No worries." Dean turned his back to him. "Hop on, man."

"What?"

"Scoot your ass to the edge and then wrap your arms around my neck."

"Why?"

"Just trust me, will you?"

Cas frowned, but did as Dean suggested. The second his arms wrapped around Dean, he gasped, his legs instinctively wrapping around Dean's waist as well. He was grateful when he felt the arms supporting him.

"Don't get used to this, all right? You're a bit more muscle than I thought you'd be, so I don't know how long I can do this for."

"Dean—"

"I've got you, man. Promise. But you breathe a word to Sam about this piggyback ride of ours, and you're losing all your boyfriend privileges. And you're sleeping on the couch too." Dean's tone was light, almost teasingly, so Cas thought little of it.

They slowly walked towards the sleeping area of the bunker.

"Sammy and I've been researching the Empty," Dean admitted as they turned the corner near Dean's room. "We were going to get you back, man. I don't want you to think . . . I mean . . . you know, that we were going to leave you there or anything. We weren't."

"Then we should thank my brothers for not having a shred of patience," Cas remarked quietly, smiling when he heard Dean's gentle laughter below him.

"Yeah. About that—since when is Gabriel chummy with Crowley of all people?"

"Your guess is as good as mine is. I just hope for Gabriel's sake, Crowley never learns of the unfortunate incident in the library with Rowena."

"Ugh. Don't remind me."

When Dean stepped inside the darkened room a few moments later and closed the door, Cas chewed on his bottom lip. His mind wandered from what if to what if, spiraling out of control. He swallowed down his nerves when Dean gently lowered them down to his knees, allowing for Cas to fall back without too much trouble.

"What?" Dean paused, turning back to him.

"Are you certain you want me in your bed?"

"Cas, it's been twelve years of you watching over me while I sleep. It's about time I do the same, don't you think?" He then walked over to the dresser. "Want some sweats to change into or—"

"I'm fine, Dean. Thank you." He winced as he removed his trench coat, his tie, his dress shirt, and then his pants, tossing them onto the floor. He paused when he caught the wide emerald staring back at him. He had thought . . . "Was I mistaken to undress?"

"No. Course not." He waved away Cas's question. "I just wasn't expecting you to undress that quickly, I guess."

"Oh."

"Yeah." Dean rubbed at the back of his neck awkwardly, having changed into his hot dog pajama bottoms and t-shirt. He then motioned for Cas to scoot over prior to sliding into bed beside him.

Without a thought given, Cas immediately rested his head atop of Dean's chest, listening to his hunter's heartbeat.

There would be time for more words later.

They had the rest of their lives now.

The only thing that mattered was being in Dean's arms.

They had rewritten their story. They had given it the ending it deserved.

The Angel of the Lord who fell for the Righteous Man.

Castiel and Dean.

Destiel forever.


End file.
